Obama agenda: Details or lack thereof

The Wall Street Journal on the details: "Calling the initiative 'my plan,' Mr. Obama set the size of a health-insurance plan at $900 billion over 10 years, a figure smaller than versions approved in the House and fully paid for, he said, by spending cuts and tax increases. Most individuals would be required to purchase health insurance, but the costs would be mitigated by generous tax credits. Large employers would also face a requirement to offer health coverage to employees or pay a fine, while most small businesses would be exempt."

Also: "The president pledged to tackle medical-malpractice lawsuits in an overture to Republicans. He singled out his former presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, in embracing one of the Arizona Republican's health-care proposals. And he promised new cost controls that could scale back his plan if health-care inflation isn't brought under control."

The Los Angeles Times writes, "President Obama's spirited defense Wednesday night of his broad healthcare goals avoided making concrete commitments on some of the most contentious issues, reflecting a guiding principle of his legislative strategy: to put off the most controversial decisions until the very last moment. It is a strategy born of political reality. At this stage of the process, when neither the House nor the Senate has even begun a floor debate, lining up firmly on one side or the other of the hot-button issues invites gridlock or even defeat."

The Boston Globe: "President Obama delivered an impassioned defense last night of his plan to overhaul the US health care system, accusing his critics of distorting his views while setting a tougher and more determined tone for the debate as it enters a crucial phase on Capitol Hill." And the first quote it uses from the president: "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it."

The New York Daily News: "On Wednesday night, Obama managed to push the boulder up the hill -- Capitol Hill, to be exact. He showed he can explain a problem in plain language and lay out proposed fixes with clarity and detail. Most important, the President promoted a plan he could call his own, rather than keeping the focus on thousands of muddled pages floating around congressional committees."

Even the New York Post gives Obama some credit for being more specific: "Bam's Band-Aid: Dr. O bares his Rx for America."

Roll Call says Obama "offered a health care speech to a joint session of Congress that was long on inspiration, explanations of his known views and tips of the hat to bipartisanship, but short on details and new proposals."